Drop-stair fire-escape.



A. C. MOWREY. DROP STAIR FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLIUATIONHLBD 00T. I19,1908.

937,710. Pamnted ont. 19, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. G. MOWREY. DROP STAIR FIRE ESCAPE.

APPL-IOATION FILED 00T. 19,1908.

Patented 0%.'19, 1909.

. .lll

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ABRAHAM o. MownEY,

Ei STATES or PORTLAND, onEGoN.

nner-saam rma-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented h19, 1909.

Application Med October 19, 19,08. Serial No. 45,530.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that'I, A BRAHAM'C'. MOWREY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Gre on, have invented anew and useful Drop? tair Fire-Escape, of'whieh the following 1s a specification.

4This invention has for its ob'ect'to provide a tire escape which consists o a drop-stairwa secured on the exterior of the building and7 normally supported uplitted, andv doors leading out thereto which are normally closed, and cannot be opened until-the stairway has been dropped and about reached the ground; whereupon the doors will be swung open automatically. VThe stairwayisdropped by pushing the buttonv of electro-magnetic means controlling the releasing devices, or -by operating equivalent releasing devices; and the dropping of the| stairway operates automatically the door-opening devices.

The advantages of my invention and the arrangements of its component parts will be readily understood from the detailed description thereof below given, andthe accompanying drawings.

In the drawing Figure l shows, perspectively, a portion of a building-front provided with my drop stairway; the stairway having been dropped, and the doors opened as 4would. be done when my invention has been operatedl to provide an exit from anupper story to the street. Fig. 2-is a sec,- tionaldetail showing my drop-stairway as dropped to the ground, and the doors opened. It j also shows the stairway, Vin ldotted outline, in its normal uplited position, and in its intermediate position. This view further shows the means for lifting the stairway to its normal position, and for releasing the same,"and o ening the` doors; Fig. 3 is a sectional detai on a larger Scale, showing my stairway as arranged when uplifted into its normal position; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively, in the order named, front and end elevations of the mechanism pro- .vided for winding up the cable or rope by 5o which my stairway is supported in its normeans for releasing the cable of the stairway, so that vthe latter may drop to the streetj'by its own weight; Fig. 6 is an inner aceelevation of broken-away arts of the a?. of the building, owing the mal uplifted positions, and showl also the' means provided for locking the doors-untilautomatcally released by thevdropiing of l my stairway; Fi'g. 7 is a correspon ing detail, thoughon somewhat larger scale than Fig. 6, showing an outer-face view of oneeof ,the doors ,and spring controlled means 'whereby the are swung outward, when the lock thereo is unbolted; Fig-8 is a see-v tional'detail` of a portion of 'a wall and door leading to my drop-stairway, and shows the 55- arrangement of the means provided for automatically unlocking the door as ,soon as the drop-stairway vhas about reached the ground. Fig. 9 isa horizontal sectional-detail corresponding withFig. 6 in scaleand 70 shows more particularly the arrangement of the means whereby the doors are locked until automatically released by the dropping of my stairway; Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional L details illustrating substantially the same features as illustrated by Figs. 6 and 8, but 4 showing a modified arrangement and construction .of the means for automatically re* leasing the bolts of the doors by the dropping of my stairway; and Figs. l2 and 13 80 are'details of construction of my stairway. Referring now to the letters as, designating the parts: It is vnecessary in the first yplace to state that the outer wall a of the building is provided with doorways b-'Jf 85 leading to the street; the latter representing the ground floor, and the former the rst story. My invention may be practically applied as, anl emergency exit to the second, third andfourth stories. The doors e are 9o so hinged 'as to swingL outward. Each ofthe doors consists of two members respec-j tively c2463 controlled b the well known rod and coil spring c, d, as lllustrated in Fig. 7,

or other suitable door-spring adapted to open the door when unrestrained. One of the Yabutting inner edges of the two door mem- "bers, e2 and e3. is provided with the usual lappiece e4, and each of the door-members is provided with a stop e5.

4ee is a catchvhaving a lip e7 which is engaged by a lever f controlled by aspring g an bya cabletconnecting with a bell-crank c bearing against a pin j, the arrangement of which details are readily understood by hav- 105 Aing reference to Figs. 2, 6 and 8. Thus, the two door-members are locked by the lap-piece e* on the door-member-ea holding the doormember e2, and the. catch e being engaged byv the lever f. The lever f is necessarily lig arranged as sho'wn in Fig. 8, consisting of a hinged centraLmember f and arms f2, f3.

' stories would y i drop-stairway, andthe arrangement ol ther -Whereonly in Figs. 10 and 1l he means rovided forl locking and automatically opening the doors of the sevei'al tlo'ors are all the same in arrangement. twov stories or floors are to be rovided with drop-stair fire escape,4 the liick-releasin 'mechanism could be connected as illustrate in the drawings; but where a third and fourth story would have' to ybe taken care of, each of the third and fourth havean independent exterior door-locking and releasing mechanism would be substantially the same as illustrated and described.

- The bell-'crank lu shown in Figs. 2, (Sandv the lower end of which is connected by av tie connected with a ll-,crank o to a link 'n.2 lever n3, arranged to normally lock the doors as mentioned..

In the. recess s" of the wall (Figs. .'10 and l l1) is pivoted a bell-crank s which isconnected with the rod p, and bears against a pin t arranged similarly to the pin j above f dropped.

describe kln either case leasing mechanism u of one. of the against the pin j l(or the door-lock-restair 'stringers bearing t when the stairway 1s The construction of my folding stairway is more clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, l2 and 13, in connection with Fig. 1. The saine is preferably built ot' metal, and comprises stringers a, u at the two sides and a central striugcr of; for, since my stairway is to provide an exit for emergencies, l deem it preferable to build the saine of suilicicnt width to afford ample rooin for four columns of descending people. The central stringers u2, besides providing enables me to provide a central hantLrail 3". Thus, each of the four columns oil" descend ing people is provided with a hand-rail, and

leo

hand-rails are essential to prevent the people from falling or being thrown down by the' crush of persons ing conditions. l

Each'ol tliestair stringers is made of two behind them, under excitpieces ua, o, lhinged together at u shown.

Between the 'pieces 'a3 and 'u of the' stringers are built the treads o and risers w. To each stair Stringer are pivoted e. number of nccted by links 5, and the outer hand rail members 3, 3 are connected tothe 7() is operated by the heel;

an additional stiiiening- -inediuin for the center of the stairway, also ton could .exits are locked until "reached the ground posts, 2, 2, 2b, andsto the latter are pivoted y the hand rails 3, 3u, and bars 4, 4a. The inner eiids ofthe hand-rails 3, 3a are conl ends of the posts Q, 2 as illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13; that is to say, the posts 2, 2a, 2" are .made with integral pivot-licads 6, 7, at their 'e'xtremities, the rail-members 3, 3, 4, 4n are pivoted to opposite faces of the posts, and the links 5 are pivoted on the same sidesl or faces as the rail-members 4, 4, which .an rangement is required to 'enable the folding of the parts, as illustrated, when the stairway is' placed in its uplifted position. At 80 the joints an the members ua, u* of the ex-A terior stairstringere are bolted arms a, which are connected to cables 8, V8a ruiming A `over pulleys 9 and Winding on the hoisting Y mechanism w. Larger-scale details of the/ hoisting mechanism are shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It consists of drum fw journaled in a supporting frame 10. 0n the axle drum w is rigidly'mounted a gear lw2 meshing with a pinion/w3 on'the axle w10 of gears() wt, meshing with a pinion ui-5 on the axle w of a fan-'wt' o7 is a'crank-handle o n the projecting end of the axle w10; w8 is a dog, provided witha lug w12 adapted to engage with one wing or'member of Ithe fan/we. 95 The dog w is provided with a plate or arma.

opposite an electro-magnet 11, which is connected with a suitable battery` and con# tact-means,s1ich as a push button, which de# tztilsd are not shown because readily `unders o To the lower end of the horizontal mem loer` of the dog w8V is coiineeteda cord orrod l2. Thus, the dog ws may be operated to rclease .the stairway in one of two Ways; either-by pulli gentile cord or rod 12, or by placing the e ectio-magnetf'Il-in circuit.

he interior ends of the hoisting cables 8.,

8fL are led .over laterally arranged pulleys 14 leading said ends to the drum of the hoisting mechanism. To place my drop-stairs into its` normal uplifted positionl the crank wis operated to Wind up the cables 8 8a on thedruin w. The-cablewind on the drum is omitted inthe drawings for the sake of In the vwinding loi" the cable onA clearness. l

is rotated and opere the drum/v7 the fan w ates a paWl. 4 Y

1n the case of a theater, the electric butmonient the-emergency arises the stairway may be dropped and the doors opened lead-' ing out to the same. It', however, the emergency is discovered in the. rst place by people near my drop-stair exits my device will 1.25

be operated by pulling-(inthe cord or rod 13.

The necessity for so varranging my devices that "the doors cntrolling the emergency the stairway has nearly is self evident. N ot be located on the stage, so that the '129" vaaa-,rie

until the moment referred to can the doors be opened by the application of ordinary force. lVarning notices, of course, should be posted near the doors cautioning the people, in proximity thereto, not to bear against the doors, but lgeep away therefrom until the automatic opening occurs, which, as mentioned, is caused by the operation of the stairway dropping to the ground, and occurs at the instant the stairway has about touched the ground. This action requires only a very short interval of time, after the stairway has been released.

It may be Aexpedient to connedt an electric or other alarm-gong y with the door releasingmechanism. The details of said connection are unimportant, but the saine should be so arranged. that the moment the stairway dropping and 'door releasing devices are set into operation the alarm' is sounded. During the operation of the stairway controlling-devices t lrop the latter, lthe fan w operates as a retardingmedium, su-fii-A ciently retarding the dropping of the stairway to prevent the lower end thereof strik ing the ground with such force as to break the structure. The drop-stairway is hinged -to exteriory brackets a7.

ing -an outwardly swinging door in its ente' rior walls, and means adapted to open said door when released., of a stairway pivot-ed exterior of the building under said door, said stairway consisting of hinged portions arranged to fold together when the stairway is lifted, jointed hand-rails on the stairway and adapted to fold therewith, cables attached to the stairway and means to which the opposite ends of the cables are attached, which means lare adapted to permit the cables to gradually lower the stairway, and means for arresting said stairway lowering devices. y f

2. The combination with a building hav ing an outwardly terior walls, and means adapted to open said door when released, of a stairway pivoted exterior of the building under said door,

' said stairway consisting of hinged portions arranged to fold together when the stairway is lifted, jointed hand-rails onthe stairway and adapted to fold therewith,'vcables at:

swinging'door in its eX-' `taehedA to the stairway and means to which.v

the opposite ends Vof the cables are attached, which means are adapted to permit the cables to gadually lower the stairway,means for arresting said stairway lowering devices, and a lock for the door, and mechanism connebted therewith, operated by the drop of the stairway, to release the lock.

3. The combination-with a buildin having an outwardly swinging door -in its exterior walls, and means adapted to open said door vwhen released, of a stairway pivoted exterior of the .building under said door,

said stairway consisting of hinged portions arranged to fold together when the stairway is lifted,v jointed hand-rails on the stairway and adapted to fold therewith, a windlass,

and cables suspending the stairway from the.

windlass, means for normally arresting the windlass, means for controlling t-hey speed of i the windlasswhen released, and a lock for the door, and .mechanism :connected therewith,vope'rated by the drop of the stairway, to release the lock.

Lt'. The combination with a building having an outwardly swinging" door in its ex terior walls, and means adapted to open said door when released, of astairwaypivoted exterior of the building under said door, said stairway consisting of hinged portions arranged to fold together when the stairway is lifted, jointed hand-rails on the stairway/"andv adapted to fold' therewith, a windlass, and cables suspendingthe stairway from the windlass, means ,for normally arresting the windlass, a fan for controlling the speed of' the windlass when released, and a lock for the door, and mechanism connected therewith, operated by the drop lof the stairway,

to release the lock.

5. The combination with a building hav ing an outwardly swinging door in its exterior walls, and means ada ted to opensaid door when releasedf'of a stairway'pivoted exterior of the building under said door, said stairway consisting of hinged'portions arranged to fold together when the stairway is lifted, Ahand-rails on said stairway consisting oi' posts-pivoted to the stair-stringers of each stair-portion, a windla'ss, and' cables suspending the stairway from the windlass, and means for arresting said stairway' lowering devices l y 6. The combination with a buildinghaving an outwardly swinging door 1n its eXterior walls, and means adapted to opensaid door when released, of a stairway plvoted exterior of the buildinor under said door, said stairway consisting olP hinged portions arto fold together when thest-alrway ranged is lifted, hand-rails on said stairway consist-f ing of posts pivoted to the stair-strin ers of each stair-portion, a windlass, andcab es suspending the stairway from the windlass, means for arresting said stairway lowering lll"A devices, and a lock for the door, and meehaiiism connected therewith, operated by the drop of the stairway, to release the lock.

7. The combination of a support, a jointed stairway hinged 1t0 said support.l said .stair- Way .consisting of hinged portions varranged vposite ends vof the cables are attached, which means are adapted tol permit the cables to gradually lower the stairway, and means for arresting'said stairway lowering devices.

8.' The Combination of a support, a jointed. stairway hinged to said support, said stairway consisting of hinged portions arranged to fold together when said stairway is lifted, jointed hand-rails onthe stairway and adapted to fold therewith, a Windlass, and

cables'suspendin the stairway from the Windlass, .means 01 normally arresting the Windlass, and a fan for controlling the speed of the tindlass When released.

9. The combination of a support, a jointed stairway hinged to said support, said .stairway consisting of hinged. portions arranged to t'old together whensaid stairway is lifted, hand-rails 'on-said stairway consisting ot' posts pivoted to the stairsstringcrs ot' each stair-portion, a windlass, and cables susw pending the stairway from the Windlass, means for normally arrestiiig the windlass,

A,anda t'an for cnntrolling the speed of the winllass when released.

` ABRAHAM o. MoWnn-Y.

l/Vitnesses:

RALPH R. DUNIWAY, T. J. Geremia. 

